Newly elected Jefferson County commissioners David Carrington and Sandra Little Brown are from different political parties but say they have developed a friendship that can help what has been a commission with a reputation for division. (Joe Songer / The Birmingham News)

Sandra Little Brown and David Carrington would appear to have very little in common.

He's a Republican. She's a Democrat. He represents Mountain Brook and other upscale communities; she represents parts of Birmingham and other middle class communities.

Two things they have in common: Both will be seated on the Jefferson County Commission in November, and both are already meeting, they say, to help renew confidence in the governing board that represents Alabama's most populous county.

"We've got to rebuild trust between the County Commission and the people," Brown said. "We've got to rebuild trust between the county commissioners themselves so we are all five people as part of one group."

In a separate interview, Carrington expressed almost the same sentiments.

"The problems facing Jefferson County are not District 2 or District 5, or Republican or Democrat, or black or white, or young or old, or rich or poor; they are business problems, and we need to get the political polarization out of the process," he said. "We both agree on that."

Carrington, the Republican from District 5, and Brown, the Democrat from District 2, are the only two hopefuls with no opposition in the November general election. Candidates in Districts 1, 3 and 4 have opponents.

Carrington won his seat in a primary election, and Brown won her seat in a runoff. Since then, the two have developed a friendship that they say bodes well for a commission with a reputation for division and dysfunction.

"We're all in agreement that we've got to keep issues separate from personalities," Carrington said. "We've been gifted that by this current commission. It is something that we recognize that, from day one, we've got to be able to separate the personalities from the issues."

Since their elections, it is not uncommon to see Brown and Carrington chatting in the corridors of the Jefferson County Courthouse or sitting next to each other during committee meetings.

Both have been in the courthouse speaking with the outgoing commissioners they will soon replace and meeting with department heads about the mechanics of county government.

Brown, 55, a former Birmingham city councilwoman, said she has been impressed with Carrington's passion for doing what is right. "He knows the different and diverse areas that we represent," she said.

Carrington, 62, a Vestavia Hills councilman, said his first impressions of Brown were favorable, and they have increased with subsequent meetings.

They met for lunch at a downtown restaurant shortly after her runoff victory in July.

"She has a servant's heart," Carrington said. "I think she was running for the right reasons. That was after my first meeting, now I know she was running for the right reasons. I loved her passion."

Both say they don't expect to be in accord on every issue.

"Let's disagree on the issue but keep the issue on the table," Carrington said. "Don't let the issue jump on someone's back. That will just polarize us and get us to move into non-productive areas."

"We can't afford to be disagreeable to the point where we try to hurt each other and hurt each other's districts," Brown said.

William Stewart, professor emeritus of political science at the University of Alabama, said the Brown-Carrington bond bodes well for the commission and residents.

"One of the primary problems of Birmingham historically is the central city-suburban conflict," Stewart said. "If you have somebody from the city meeting with a suburbanite and talking how they can work together, that would be a positive sign as far as the future of Jefferson County government is concerned."

As business owners, the two incoming commissioners see economic development as a key for the county.

Brown has owned JJ's T-Shirts and Team World in Powderly since 1991. Carrington is president of Racing USA Inc., a NASCAR memorabilia retailer.

"Both of us are business entrepreneurs and, as such, we have an interest in entrepreneurial economic development as well as major corporate recruitment," Carrington said.

Brown agreed.

"With economic development, we can probably put some programs in place to help make more entrepreneurs," she said. "You don't have to be a Brasfield & Gorrie. You can be a JJ's T-Shirts and Team World and still make a living."

They also share a deep-rooted love for God.

"Both of us serve a living God," said Carrington, who attends Shades Mountain Baptist Church in Vestavia Hills. "We both shared a strong faith. I think that has given both of us a servant's heart."

Brown, who attends Mount Zion Baptist Church in Birmingham's Riley neighborhood, said: "We're both Christians. He even works with missionaries overseas. That's high on my list because, if you have a mind to mission, that means you will mission here where you are everyday. A mission is about taking care of the needs of the people."